What significance does the Holocaust seem to have for Hoffman's writing?

The Holocaust is not mentioned all too frequently in Hoffman's writings, but when he does mention them, he describes it in a nihilistic tone as this event took place during his childhood. It was a very hard time for him and it has impacted his life for the rest of his years. He even describes in one of his writings, that life began with the  birth of Jesus Christ, and life ended with the birth of Hitler. Although this line is very short, I think that there is some significance to it. For starters, I think it shows how Hitler's reign of terror really harmed Jewish people. The Jewish people must have thought that life was ending for them during the Holocaust. It must have been very horrifying for Hoffman to go through that at the time.